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There wasn’t a ton of drama on the track during the previous Formula 1 season courtesy of Max Verstappen’s ability to consistently outdo the rest of the field, but the offseason has kicked off with quite a bang thanks to a growing scandal involving accusations surrounding Mercedes head honcho Toto Wolff and his wife Susie.
Even if you keep close tabs on Formula 1, there’s a chance you may not know Wolff’s wife Susie serves as the head of the F1 Academy, the all-female circuit that held its inaugural season in 2023 and operates entirely under the umbrella of the racing organization as opposed to being comprised of independently-owned teams like its male equivalent.
According to the Associated Press, the nature of that agreement means Susie’s role falls under the purview of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, and her job means she has privileged insight into the day-to-day operations and dealings of the corporation that sanctions the events her husband’s Mercedes team competes in.
Now, things have taken a very interesting turn after the FIA (the governing body that oversees F1 races) announced it is looking into allegations that Toto obtained inside intel from Susie after he “made comments in a recent meeting that included details [other teams] felt could only have come from F1.”
The nature of those comments has not been specified, and as things currently stand, it’s unclear what kind of information Wolff could have obtained that would have theoretically given Mercedes an advantage. It also appears there’s some gamesmanship going on, as every F1 team has denied they were responsible for alerting the FIA to the alleged misdeed.
On Tuesday, Susie released a statement where she stated she was “deeply insulted” by the claims against her (and her husband) and denied them while implying sexism may have played a role in them coming to light in the first place.
It appears the FIA plans to launch an official investigation into the matter, but the BBC reports the decision to launch a probe could only increase tensions and worsen the divide that’s grown between the governing body and F1 teams in recent years to the point where the two sides could split entirely.
Things are still in the very early stages, but this will certainly be worth keeping an eye on.